Chapter Text
>>>Hero.net/JP
>>Miscellaneous
>Posted by Hero:0625202224
Overworked Underground Hero looking for a decent roommate in the Tokyo area.
Rent is 100.000 JPY for a shared midsized bedroom, kitchen, living room, and full bath.
The apartment complex is outdated but the apartment is clean and is a central location to most of the Tokyo police stations.
I work six nights a week as an Independent hero, and do commission bounty hunting for BackAlley Agency . I have no animals due to lack of time at home, but hope to one day get a rescue dog/cat/or bunny. I am back in Japan after spending three years working internationally.
I can be bribed with canned coffee and H-fuel.
Please, I just want to live with someone who knows how to do their own dishes, laundry, and pick up after themselves. We do not need to become best friends or anything.
I also sometimes might come home covered in blood, but I can assure you that the blood will never me mine. Please, this has been a problem before, so do not inquire if you're going to have a problem with it.
UA’s Hell Class members need not apply.
~Boogeyman (0625202224)
***
Hero: 0422202223 has requested a conversation with Hero: 0625202224
Hero: 0625202224 has accepted Hero: 0422202223
Hero: 0625202224 identity has been confirmed as Underground Hero: Boogeyman by Hero.net
Hero:0422202223 identity has been confirmed ass Hero: Phantom Thief by Hero.net
Boogeyman: Is this a professional request or about the room for rent?
Phantom Thief: Right to the point. It’s about the room.
Phantom Thief: I’m potentially interested, I have a few questions.
Boogeyman: Ask them.
Phantom Thief: I would like pictures of the apartment, and your reason for not wanting anyone from UA’s Hell class.
Boogeyman: Insert (5). jpg
Boogeyman: It’s personal, but mainly a fear of unnecessary property damage. I can not afford to lose my security deposit. Not again.
Phantom Thief: The place looks run down and dated, but it’s acceptable. When can I come by to see the place in person/ when would the move in date be?
Boogeyman: What’s the rush?
Phantom Thief: You’ve never lived with my parents.
Phantom Thief: But, at least I’m not desperate enough to be posting roommate classifieds on Hero.net.
Boogeyman: Oof, ya, I refuse to go back to living with my Mother.
Boogeyman: And as a show of good faith, I am going to ignore you calling me desperate; and not mention you are equally as desperate for answering a roommate classified on Hero.net.
Boogeyman: The address is XXXXX. Message when you are here, and I will meet you at the door. I am free all day Sunday. You can move in the same day, if you end up liking the place.
Phantom Thief has sent Boogeyman a request for a meeting at 1400 Sunday, 04/22/XXXX!
Boogeyman has accepted Phantom Thief’s meeting request!
Phantom Thief: Shouldn’t you ask me questions about myself, to make sure I’m not going to kill you or something?
Boogeyman: Sir/Ma’am/Xir, I am an Independent Underground Hero with a 35 case workload, and I work a second job. I crave death at this point.
Boogeyman: I’ve been awake for 22 hours, have only drinken H-fuel in the last week, and can not remember the last time I ate solid food.
Boogeyman: Also, as you pointed out, I am desperate since my previous roommate backed out at the last minute. And you are the only person to respond to the ad without sending unsolicited…intimate photos. So, how about this.
Boogeyman: Do you pinkie promise you are not a serial killer?
Phantom Thief: I guess.
Boogeyman: Wonderful. So, you aren’t a serial killer.
Phantom Thief: Okay, I guess I will see you Sunday.
***
Despite an hour-long scalding shower and rubbing their skin pink, Izuku can still feel the stick of someone else's blood coating their skin. It’s been a long night for the Underground Hero, one that involved trying to apply pressure to a gaping hole left in a five-year old's side, in the hopes that the girl might live long enough for the paramedics to arrive on scene.
It didn’t matter in the end. The paramedics had done their best but the girl was declared DOA at the hospital.
And Izuku, Izuku is back at square one; and at least five moves behind the human trafficker Ikeda Haru. Which is bad enough, but they also have to deal with a representative of the HPSC in a suit, who does not understand the words ‘would interfere with an ongoing investigation’.
All the HPSC cares about is that the raid was ‘mostly a success’ and led to the arrest of thirteen organ traffickers and the recovery of six quirked children. They don't care about the hours 'Japan's Only Quirkless Hero' and the Tokyo Police have put into stopping an organization hurting thousands of children; and they especially do not care about the death of a quirkless five-year old who had been beaten, raped, and eventually cut open while fully awake for a kidney. According to them, the public didn't need to know the 'details'.
Izuku would care more, if they couldn’t already hear the tell tale clicking of the Tokyo Police Department’s inhouse lawyer’s high heels, a truly beautiful woman with a magma hair mutation and knows that issues will be resolved quickly.
Instead, Izuku focuses on more important matters, like informing Cynthia Miller’s parents of her unforchanant death and offering condolences. It’s heartbreaking to speak with Justin Miller and Rose Miller, when all Izuku can feel is Cynthia’s blood under their fingernails and see her short case file..
Name: Cynthia Rose Miller
Nationality: American
Last seen walking to school with her nanny Martha Smith
She was reported missing when she didn’t arrived to school
Martha was found dead in an abandoned building three days after the kidnapping.
The kidnappers sold her to Ikeda Haru for 5,000 USD
Ikeda Haru auctioned the freckled-faced girl’s virginity to the highest bidder before smuggling her into Japan.
Six months later Ikeda decided to try and make more money off the girl by selling one of her kidneys.
Cynthia’s parents are understandably inconsolable by the fate of their only child and are crying while a police officer escorts them to the morgue to see their daughter’s body.
“That part of the job will never get easier,” Chief Kenji says, tilting his head towards the elevator where the Miller’s are being led. “But you did good today, Vigilante. You helped bring six children home. We don’t get wins like that often, why don’t you go home and eat something that didn’t come from a convenient store?”
“I will, soon. I just need to fill out some paperwork. And I have some leads I need to check out.”
Chief Kenji huffs but only shakes his head in an amused manner, “Go home.”
“I will, Mutt. Soon.” Izuku tries offering the dog-like man a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t reach their eyes, “I just have to do a few things first. Also, I promised a few of the officers that I would leave printouts of the newest responses to my desperate plea for a roommate.”
“I thought you found someone to move in with you.”
“I did, maybe. They’re coming to check out the place tomorrow. The officers just like looking through the responses I have gotten during their lunch. Detective Susuki is convinced one of the people who responded is the serial killer who’s been killing people with a baseball bat in the park; and Officer Tanaka has an amazing new name for Kuami Wood. We have a small archive in the breakroom if you're interested. They’re in the pink binder? You really never noticed it?”
Chief Kenji opens his mouth to respond but closes it again when Izuku’s phone starts buzzing, “Saved by the bell, Boogeyman. Tell that other little delinquent, I still regret not arresting the two of you when I had a chance every single day, the missed opportunity haunts my dreams.”
“You are very dramatic for a man who got to claim credit for capturing Stain.”
“Please just go home.”
***
Elderly Emos
Zuko:How’s the roommate search going?
Sokka: Barf
Sokka: You would think posting on a professional heros only platform would have saved me from fielding weirdos and creeps. But alas I have received no less than five unsolicited intimate photos. Today
Sokka: Also. Kuami Wood’s name has taken on a whole new -and hilarious- meaning.
Zuko: Yikes. Did you manage to find anyone?
Sokka: Maybe. Someone with the name Phantom Thief contacted me, and the name sounds familiar but I’m too exhausted to try looking them up.
Zuko: That does sound familiar…
Sokka: Well, if you remember who it is by Sunday feel free to share with the class.
Zuko: Speaking of ‘The Class’, has anyone tried reaching out to you?
Sokka: No, but tbh I don’t think anyone else has realized I changed my number right after graduation.
Sokka: I mean, I still message with Sato and Koda once a month, but we use an old Accord server we made in 2nd year for a group project.
Zuko: You're not missing much, Iida and Momo are trying to arrange a class christmas gift exchange.
Sokka: It’s April.
Zuko: Ya and that’s why I silenced the chat until at least November.
Sokka: LOL. Good for you Roki.
Zuko: How did the raid go?
Sokka: One of the kids died.
Sokka: Someone tried cutting out a child's kidney without any kind of anesthesia.
Sokka: I held a girl in my arms as she bled to death.
Sokka: I’ve never felt more useless in my life.
Sokka: The girl reminded me of Eri, and now I can’t stop thinking about how much I miss her.
Sokka: We recovered six kids, and arrested thirteen organ traffickers.
Zuko: Congratulations.
Sokka: That’s but I should go because the Mutt’s head explodes.
***
Exhausted, Izuku begins filling out the mountain of paperwork for the raid. Noting as the Police station's night shift transitions into day shift, and Magma-san placing a cup of real non police station coffee on the edge of their desk. They’re nearly halfway done when the entire room unnaturally quiets, and Izuku looks up after a minute to see a bony man walking towards their desk excitedly.
“Young Midoriya, I am glad I caught you before you left.” All Might says.
“All Might? What are you doing here?”
“Toshinori.” All Might smiles brightly and simply corrects the greenett for the hundredth time. “I’m taking you out for breakfast,”
“I’m working.”
“You have two options, Young Midoriya.” All Might says quietly, smiling at one of the cameras being ‘discreetly pointed at him by awestruck police officers. “You can come with me, your kind high school mentor.” The blonde man’s smile became tighter and his eyes nervous. “Or Sorahiko-sensei will come in and drag us both out by our hair.”
Suddenly, vivid memories of being thrown around by a small -but fast- old man during all three years of work study flash through Midoriya’s mind, “So, where are we going for breakfast.”